One month. A whole damn month had passed since I arrived in the kingdom of Britannia, and my progress was practically zero. Zero. Nothing at all.
There I was, sitting in the dining hall of the female academy 's residential wing, head bowed and elbows resting on the shiny wooden surface. In front of me, a cup of steaming tea grew cold, forgotten, while my thoughts spun in circles like a dog chasing its tail.
(One month…) I repeated to myself, feeling the weight of the days on my shoulders.
(One month and I haven't found a single solid clue about the Phantom Troupe.)
I had questioned servants, listened to rumors in the hallways, and even followed some teachers who seemed suspicious. But nothing. It was as if the phantom organization didn't exist, as if it had all been a bad dream. But I knew it wasn't true. The game notes didn't lie. The pandemic would come, and if I didn't do something to stop it, the empire would fall.
(At this rate, three months will pass, I'll return to the empire empty-handed, and I'll have to wait four long years until the pandemic sweeps everything away. Four years! I don't want that. I can't allow it.)
I sighed, burying my face in my hands. The echo of my frustration bounced off the high walls of the empty dining hall. The students were in class, the maids were doing their chores, and I… I was there, wallowing like an idiot.
(I thought coming to this academy would make it easier to find out something about them through the students, but no information. All I've managed to do is waste time and earn a few suspicious glances from the guards.)
I raised my head and looked out the window. The academy 's inner garden looked beautiful in the morning light, with its rose bushes in bloom and its singing fountains. A spectacle worthy of a fairy tale. But I wasn't there to enjoy the scenery.
(I need a stroke of luck. Or a new perspective. Something to get me out of this stalemate.)
It was then that my gaze, wandering aimlessly around the dining hall, landed on a familiar figure. Liddy. Iris 's exclusive maid was in a corner, scrubbing the floor with an energy bordering on obsessive. A bucket of soapy water beside her, a rag in her hand, kneeling on the cold marble tiles.
I blinked, confused.
"Liddy? Cleaning? But the academy's servants take care of that… She doesn't work here."
I stood up and approached her slowly, trying not to make any noise. When I reached her side, I stopped and watched her work for a few seconds. She scrubbed diligently, with an almost military concentration, as if her life depended on leaving that floor spotless.
"Good morning, Liddy," I greeted her finally.
She looked up, startled, but when she recognized me, she gave me a warm smile.
"Ah, Razel-sama! Good morning. I didn't hear you come in."
"You were very focused," I noted, nodding toward the bucket and rag. "Tell me, why are you cleaning? The school's servants are supposed to do that. You´re Iris's personal maid, not an academy employee."
Liddy straightened up, drying her hands on her apron nervously. Her emerald green hair, usually immaculate, had a few loose strands stuck to her forehead from the effort.
"Well…" she hesitated, lowering her gaze. "I have to win over the other maids at the school. That's why I'm cleaning."
"Win over the maids?" I repeated, raising an eyebrow. "And why is that?"
Liddy shrugged, uncomfortable.
"That's what those girls told me. They said that since I'm new, I have to prove I'm useful and that I don't think I'm better than them just because I serve Lady Iris. That cleaning is the best way to earn their respect."
My eyes shifted to a group of maids on the other side of the dining hall, near the kitchen door. There were three girls, dressed in servant uniforms, whispering among themselves while throwing furtive glances at Liddy. And they weren't friendly looks. They were mocking looks, the kind exchanged by tormentors when they see their victim suffer.
One of them raised her hand to her mouth to hide a giggle.
I understood the situation instantly.
"Liddy," I said, in a more serious tone. "Come with me."
"Huh? But I haven't finished yet…"
"Someone else will finish. Come."
I took her arm gently but firmly and led her out of the dining hall, through a hallway covered with tapestries, and into a small, secluded inner garden, away from prying eyes. There, under the shade of a cherry tree in bloom, I let her go.
"Liddy, they're making a fool of you," I said bluntly.
She blinked, confused.
"What do you mean?"
"Those maids. The ones who told you that you had to clean to earn their respect. They're taking advantage of you. They're using you as their pack mule while they stand around with their arms crossed laughing at you."
Liddy shook her head in disbelief.
"That can't be. They told me it was a tradition among new maids. That everyone goes through it."
"A tradition, you say," I snorted. "And tell me, have you seen any other new maid cleaning the entire dining hall while the others watch?"
Liddy opened her mouth to answer, but immediately closed it. She frowned, thoughtful.
"…No. Now that you mention it, no. They only asked me."
"Because you are Iris 's maid. The girl who is under the queen's protection, who comes from an important family. Those maids are jealous of you, and instead of confronting you directly, they make you do their dirty work to feel superior. It's an old tactic. Vipers always attack like that."
Liddy squeezed the rag she was still holding, her knuckles turning white.
"So… all this time I've been working for them for no reason?"
"Exactly."
"But…" her voice cracked. "I just wanted to fit in. I didn't want to cause trouble for Lady Iris."
"Cause trouble for Iris? What does she have to do with this?"
Liddy lowered her head, and for a moment, I saw a shadow of sadness cross her face. When she spoke, her voice was barely a whisper.
"Lady Iris already has enough worries. Her ruined social standing, her expulsion from the previous academy, the threat of the Phantom Troupe… I don't want to be another burden for her. If the other maids complain about me, it could cause diplomatic friction or bad rumors, and that would affect my lady. That's why I agreed. I thought that if I worked hard, if I proved I was useful, everyone would be happy and no one would bother Lady Iris."
"Liddy…"
"I was a commoner," she continued, without lifting her gaze. "My parents abandoned me when I was a child. They had a huge debt with a moneylender, and to pay it off… they sold me. They handed me over like an object. But I ran away before being sold. Until I came to the Rosenthal mansion. Lady Iris saw me on the street, learned my story, and instead of leaving me there, she took me into her home, reached out her hand to me. She gave me a name and surname, a dignified job, and most importantly… she treated me like a person."
She raised her eyes to me, and in her violet eyes, unshed tears glistened.
"Lady Iris is the most important person in the world to me. She is my lady, yes, but she is also my friend, my savior, my reason to keep going. I would do anything for her. Anything. So if having to clean floors and put up with the mockery of a few petty maids is what I have to do to avoid causing her trouble, I will do it. Without complaining. With a smile, if necessary."
I stayed silent for a few seconds, processing her words. Her determination was genuine, almost moving. But it was also misguided.
"Liddy, you are a good maid," I said finally. "And an even better friend. But that doesn't mean you should let people walk all over you."
"Razel-sama?"
"I'll help you. So those girls stop bothering you. You don't have to face them alone."
"But I don't want to cause Lady Iris any trouble…"
"This isn´t causing her trouble. It's solving a problem before she has to. Believe me, Iris would feel worse if she knew you were suffering in silence because of her. A good lady doesn´t want to see her servants suffer. And a good maid knows that her own well-being is also important to her lady."
Liddy stared at me, her lips trembling.
"Do you… do you think I can do it?"
"I don't think so. I know so. You just need a little… attitude. Leave it to me."
She nodded, though doubt was still painted on her face. For my part, I was already plotting a plan. Something simple, effective, and that wouldn´t require Iris to find out if everything went well. After all, I was an expert at dealing with abusive people. I had fought criminals and unimaginable monsters. A few gossiping maids weren't going to be a problem.
(I just need to give Liddy a little confidence. And maybe… teach her one of my scary faces.)
I smiled to myself.
◇
The next morning, Liddy was in the back courtyard of the academy, near the clotheslines, hanging Iris's sheets. The morning sun was just beginning to warm the air, and the smell of soap and wet fabric filled the breeze.
I was hiding behind a column, watching from a distance, ready to step in if necessary. Liddy had followed my instructions to the letter. Now all we needed was for the circus ringleaders to appear.
And appear they did.
The same three maids from the day before came out of the kitchen with a tea tray, but instead of heading to the dining hall, they veered toward the clotheslines. Their steps were slow, deliberate, like cats stalking a mouse.
"Hey, Greenie," said one of them, a girl with brown hair pulled into a tight bun. "Have you finished cleaning the east wing hallways yet?"
Liddy, who had been hanging a sheet as white as snow, slowly turned around. Her face, normally kind and smiling, looked… different. Her violet eyes seemed like two burning garnets. Her mouth curled into a grimace that wasn´t anger, but something more primal.
"No," she replied, her voice flat and cold. "I didn't clean any hallways."
The three maids exchanged confused glances.
"What do you mean, no?" interrupted the second one, a freckled redhead. "We ordered you to yesterday. You said you would."
"I changed my mind," said Liddy, and then, just as the girls opened their mouths to protest, she did something she had never done in her life.
She imitated my terrifying face.
I don't know how to describe it precisely. It was as if her face had turned into a demon mask. Her eyes narrowed, her eyebrows arched unnaturally, and her smile… her smile was that of a hungry wolf stalking a lamb.
"If you want something cleaned," she said, in a voice that seemed to come from the bottom of a well, "Do it yourselves. I'm not your pack mule. And if you keep bothering me… I´ll break your legs, idiots."
The three maids turned as pale as if they had seen a ghost. The one with the bun stepped back, tripping over her own skirts. The redhead dropped the tea tray, which crashed to the floor with a metallic clatter. The third, a girl with glasses, turned and ran off without even saying goodbye.
"C-Crazy! You´re crazy!" stammered the one with the bun, before fleeing with the redhead right behind her.
Liddy held the expression for a few more seconds, until their figures disappeared around the corner of the building. Then her face relaxed, and she turned to where I was hiding, a radiant smile on her face and her eyes bright with excitement.
"D-Did I do well, Razel-sama?"
I stepped out from behind the column, clapping slowly.
"Perfect. Flawless. You looked like a real assassin."
Liddy blushed, embarrassed but happy.
"It´s just that your face… when you showed it to me yesterday, I couldn't sleep thinking about it. It´s incredible how your expression changes. It looks like you´re about to devour someone´s soul."
"I don't know if that´s a compliment or an insult," I said, laughing.
"It's a compliment, I swear!"
"Well, the point is it worked. People like those maids are easy to intimidate. They don't have real malice, just opportunism. When someone stands up to them, they cower instantly. After today, they'll avoid you like the plague."
Liddy nodded, excited.
"Thank you, Razel-sama. Really. I don't know how to repay you."
"You don't have to repay me anything. We´re friends, right?"
She looked at me with her big violet eyes, and for a moment, I saw something shine in them that I couldn't identify.
"…Yes. We´re friends."
"By the way," I added, scratching the back of my neck, "If you want, I can teach you more of my 'weird faces. So you have a repertoire. That way, if someone bothers you in the future, you can pull out a different one and keep them at bay."
Liddy clasped her hands together, like a little girl in front of a merry-go-round.
"Really? You'd teach me more faces?"
"Yes, but you have to promise me one thing."
"Anything."
"Don't use them on Iris. I don't want the queen to behead me for 'corrupting her personal maid."
Liddy let out a laugh, a clear, sincere laugh that brightened the whole courtyard.
"I promise. Ah, and I also promise not to use them on the princesses! Princess Alicia would faint from fright, and Princess Lillie would probably try to hire me as a bodyguard."
"Good observation," I said, laughing as well.
And so, between laughs and promises, we ended that morning.
◇
In the following days, Liddy and I started spending more time together. It wasn't planned; it just happened. I wandered around the academy looking for clues about the Phantom Troupe, and she did her chores for Iris, but our paths crossed constantly. In the hallways, in the dining hall, in the library.
It was during one of those chance encounters that Liddy proposed something unexpected.
"Razel-sama," she said to me one evening while I was leafing through an ancient history book in one of the empty halls. "Have you eaten yet?"
"No, not yet. I'm not very hungry, to be honest."
"Then… would you like to try something I made?"
I looked up from the book, surprised.
"You cooked?"
"Yes. Since that day, I've been getting along much better with the cooks. I told them what happened with the maids, and it turned out they also suffered abuse from that group. One thing led to another, and they accepted me into their circle. And today they let me use the kitchen to make something special."
"And you´re going to give it to Iris?"
"No," Liddy shook her head, smiling. "It´s for you, Razel-sama. To thank you for everything you've done for me."
"It wasn´t necessary…"
"I want to do it. Please."
I couldn't refuse the sincerity of her request. So I followed her to the main kitchen, a huge stone and steel room full of steaming stoves and tempting smells. The cooks, upon seeing me, greeted me respectfully and stepped aside to leave us a private space by a wooden table.
Liddy appeared moments later with a dish covered by a silver cloche. She placed it in front of me carefully, as if it were a treasure.
"I hope you like it."
She lifted the cloche.
It was a meat stew bathed in a dark, shiny sauce, accompanied by glazed vegetables and a side of buttery mashed potatoes. The aroma it gave off was heavenly, a mix of aromatic herbs, red wine, and juicy meat. My stomach, which moments before had felt no appetite, roared almost violently.
"It smells incredible," I said, picking up a fork.
"Try it."
I took a bite. The meat melted in my mouth like butter, and the sauce, with its perfect balance of salt and spices, danced on my tongue in a symphony of flavors. The vegetables were perfectly cooked, crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. The mash was creamy and smooth, with a hint of nutmeg that elevated it to another level.
"It´s… delicious," I said, hardly believing it. "Did you really make this?"
Liddy nodded, blushing.
"I tried very hard. The cooks gave me some tips, but the recipe is mine. It's a dish my grandmother used to make, before… well, before."
I didn´t ask what had happened to her grandmother. Something in her tone told me it wasn't a happy story.
"It´s amazing, Liddy. You have enormous talent."
"Do you really like it?"
"More than like it. I love it. You could open your own restaurant and get rich."
Liddy laughed, covering her mouth with her hand.
"I don't think that´s possible, but I'm glad you enjoy it."
I kept eating enthusiastically, emptying the plate in a matter of minutes. When I finished, I leaned back in my chair, stroking my swollen belly with satisfaction.
"I can´t eat anymore. I'm full."
"Do you want dessert?" Liddy asked, her tone suddenly shy.
"There´s dessert?"
She nodded and approached me with slow steps. Too slow. Her face was flushed, and her violet eyes shone with an intensity I hadn't seen before.
"Liddy… are you okay? You look weird."
"I´m fine. It's just that… I´ve been thinking about you a lot, Razel-sama."
"About me?"
"Yes. About how you helped me, how you defended me, how we spent time together… and I realized that every time I see you, I feel something strange here." She put her hand to her chest, right over her heart. "It's like my chest tightens and my face gets hot. At first I thought it was an illness, but then I understood it wasn´t. It's something else."
"Liddy…"
"Today, when I saw you smile while eating my dish, something inside me told me I had to do it. That this was the moment. So… please don't be angry."
She leaned toward me, closed her eyes, and before I could react, her lips pressed against mine.
It was a brief kiss, soft as a butterfly's flutter, but charged with an overwhelming sweetness. Then I knew what the dessert she was talking about really was.
When she pulled away, her cheeks were burning like embers.
"I´m sorry," she whispered, looking down. "I've enjoyed spending time with you so much, Razel-sama. To the point where I feel strange every time I see you. And yes, there was a fruit cake for dessert, but when I saw you smile… something inside me told me to kiss you. Please don't hate me."
"Liddy…"
"Are you angry?"
I wasn't. To be honest, that kiss had surprised me, but I hadn´t disliked it. She was a sweet, hardworking, loyal girl. And her vulnerability at that moment seemed so authentic that I couldn't help but feel some warmth in my chest.
"I´m not angry," I replied. "I just… wasn't expecting it."
"Did you like it?"
"The dessert… yes."
Liddy raised her eyes hopefully.
"Do you want more? Of that dessert, I mean?"
I smiled. The situation was absurd, but also strangely pleasant.
"Yes. Give me more."
She hesitated for a moment, biting her lower lip. Then, as if she had made a decision, she leaned in again. Her trembling hands rested on my shoulders, and this time, the kiss was longer. Deeper. Her lips moved against mine with a shyness that slowly turned into confidence.
I closed my eyes and responded.
The outside world disappeared. Only Liddy, her jasmine scent, and the softness of her mouth existed. I don't know how much time passed, but when we finally parted, we were both out of breath.
"Thank you," she murmured, her eyes wet. "Thank you for everything, Razel-sama."
"Liddy… you don't have to thank me…"
"Yes, I do. You taught me to defend myself. You gave me confidence. And now… you´ve given me this. I'll never forget it."
She smiled, and in her smile there was such pure happiness that I felt my heart tremble.
"But," I added, trying to regain my composure, "This has to stay between us, okay? I don't know how Iris would react if she found out I kissed her personal maid."
Liddy laughed under her breath.
"I know. It'll be our secret."
On the other side of the kitchen window, for a moment I felt there was a shadow that quickly retreated, but it must have been the shadow of the sun.
◇
A few more days passed. My routine remained the same: patrolling the academy, following false leads, getting frustrated. But at least now I had Liddy´s occasional company and my nighttime outings with mature women, and that little light in the midst of darkness helped me stay sane.
One afternoon, while wandering through the library looking for Jenna to see if she had any information, I found something unexpected.
In a secluded corner, between the shelves of ancient books, two uniformed girls stood, heads bowed, hands clasped to their chests. In front of them was Erica. The silver-haired, gray-eyed noblewoman who always seemed to be in a bad mood.
But this wasn´t just any bad mood. Erica was berating them.
"What idiots you are!" she said, her voice sharp as a razor blade. "I told you to look in the third section, not the second. Can't you read numbers? A five-year-old child could do better!"
The two girls were visibly trembling. One of them, a redhead, murmured something I couldn´t hear.
"What?" Erica raised an eyebrow. "You're sick? And that´s your excuse? Then go to the infirmary and stop getting in the way. Get out of here!"
The girls ran off, their eyes full of tears.
I hid behind a nearby bookshelf, watching Erica. She stood alone, snorting in annoyance. But after a few seconds, her expression changed. Her brow furrowed, and her lips trembled slightly, as if she were about to say something and then thought better of it.
(Interesting), I thought. (She's not just a mean girl. There´s something more.)
I came out of my hiding spot and approached her with deliberate steps.
"What do you want, commoner?" she snapped when she saw me, her defenses up.
"Nothing. Just passing by."
"Then keep passing. I don't have time to waste on you."
"I saw what you did to those girls."
Erica tensed.
"So what? I was helping them."
"Helping them? You yelled at them, humiliated them, and made them cry. On top of that, you called them idiots."
"Because they are. I gave them clear instructions and they didn´t follow them. If they can't do something so simple, they deserve to be told."
"That´s not the problem," I said, leaning against the shelf. "The problem is how you say it. With that mouth, you'll never get anyone to listen to you. You´ll only make them fear you. Or hate you."
Erica turned red, not with embarrassment, but with anger.
"What do you know? You´re nobody! You´re just a meddling peasant who knows nothing about noble life!"
"You´re right, I don't know anything about noble life," I admitted, shrugging. "But I know people. And I know that if you keep this up, you'll end up alone."
"I don't care!"
"You do care. That's why you tremble when You´re alone. That's why you frown after yelling at them. Because you know You´re doing it wrong, but you don't know how to do it right."
Erica opened her mouth to retort, but no words came out. Instead, her eyes began to glisten. Tears. Damn it, I always ended up making girls cry.
"I don't want to be bad," she whispered finally, her voice so fragile I barely recognized it. "I really am helping them. But I don't know how to say it without sounding… like that. I don't know how to speak properly."
"Did you never learn?"
"My sister… she knew how. She could give orders to the most powerful nobles, and they would obey without a peep. I admired her. When I was a little girl, I watched her talk to them, with that firm, authoritative voice, and I thought that's how you should be. That harshness is the way. But when I try… I just make people cry."
"You´re imitating your sister," I said, understanding.
"It's not imitation. It´s… it's who I am. It´s my identity."
"No," I shook my head. "It's a mask. Your sister had her own personality. Her way of speaking came naturally because it was her. But You´re not her. You´re forcing something that doesn´t belong to you, and that's why it sounds fake and cruel."
Erica stared at me, her eyes wide.
"Then… what am I supposed to do? Change who I am?"
"No. You just have to find your own voice. You don't need to be harsh to be firm. You don't need to yell to be heard."
"And how do you do that?"
"I don't know," I admitted. "I'm not a royal counselor. But…"
I remembered a game. An old game, the kind I used to play in my free time before all this. There was a girl, a tsundere princess, who said the opposite of what she felt. If she was happy, she said she was angry. If she liked you, she said she hated you. And the protagonist had to help her say what she really thought.
"…I could try," I finished.
"Try what?"
"To help you. To find your way of speaking without hurting others. But only if you want. If not, I´ll leave and never mention it again."
Erica was silent for a long time. The wind coming through the window moved her silver hair like threads of moonlight. Finally, she lowered her head and nodded.
"…Alright. I have nothing better to do anyway."
"Great. But one condition."
"What?"
"When I teach you something, don't call me peasant."
"Okay… Razel."
I smiled. It was a start.
◇
Time passed. I spent a couple of hours each day training Erica in the art of communication. It wasn´t easy. She was stubborn, temperamental, and every time she tried to soften her tone, she fell back into old habits.
But little by little, progress began to show.
One rainy day, I was in the academy's art workshop. I had sneaked in to see how her progress was going. Erica was standing in front of an easel, painting an autumn landscape, when one of her classmates, a girl with curly hair, approached her hesitantly.
"E-Erica-sama… could you help me with this color? I can´t get it right. I tried mixing ultramarine blue with titanium white, but it looks too dull…"
Erica looked at her. I held my breath.
"Are you an idiot?" she said, and my heart sank. "That's because You´re using the wrong proportion. Two parts white to one-part blue, then add a pinch of yellow ochre to warm it up. Didn't they teach you anything in color theory class?"
The girl blinked, expecting the worst. But Erica didn´t stop there.
"…However," she added, in a slightly softer tone, "The problem isn't just the mix. It´s also the brushstroke. Try a softer bristle brush and apply the paint in thin layers. That way the color will look more vibrant."
The girl´s eyes opened wide in surprise.
"R-Really? You think I can do it?"
"Of course you can. You´re an idiot, but a talented idiot. Now get to work."
The girl smiled happily and ran back to her spot, humming a tune.
Erica turned to me, a mix of pride and embarrassment on her face.
"What?" she snapped. "You didn´t like it?"
"It was perfect," I said sincerely. "You called her an idiot, but you said it in a way that didn't sound offensive. It sounded almost… affectionate."
"It was not affectionate!"
"It was a little affectionate. And that´s okay."
Erica blushed and went back to her painting, grumbling. But the corner of her lips curved into a smile she couldn't quite hide.
At the exit of the workshop, she stopped me in the hallway.
"Hey, Razel."
"Yes?"
"I want… to thank you. For your help."
"It was nothing."
"It was something. And I want to give you a gift-desuwa."
"That´s not necessary."
"Shut up and close your eyes-desuwa."
I sighed. I wasn't going to win that argument. I closed my eyes.
I heard her approach. The rustle of her skirts, the soft scent of her rose perfume. Then, a hand gently pushed me down. I sat on something (a chair, I assumed). And then…
"Open your eyes."
I opened them. On my lap was a cake. A chocolate cake with strawberries, decorated with a shiny layer of red glaze.
"It´s a cake," said Erica, her cheeks flushed. "I made it myself. With the cooks' help, but the idea was mine. It´s to thank you."
"You baked this?"
"Can't I bake? I´m a noble, not a useless idiot."
"I didn't say that. Just… thank you."
"Don't thank me. Eat it."
I picked up a fork and took a bite. It was delicious. The chocolate was intense but not cloying, and the strawberries gave it a tart touch that balanced the sweetness.
"It's really good," I said, and I meant it.
"Really?" asked Erica, with barely concealed hope.
"Really. You´re a good pastry chef."
"I'm not a pastry chef. I´m a painter."
"Then a painter and a pastry chef. Double talent."
Erica snorted, but her eyes sparkled with joy.
"I'll give you another bite."
She took the fork from my hand, cut a piece of cake, and brought it to my mouth. I ate it. Then another. And another. When I was about to take a fourth bite, she tilted her head, pushed the cake aside, and kissed me.
It was a quick, dry kiss, almost military. When she pulled away, her face was as red as the cake´s glaze.
"That… that was the real dessert," she murmured, not looking me in the eye.
"Erica…?"
"Don't say anything. Just… enjoy it."
And she kissed me again. And again. Her lips were cold at first, but little by little they warmed up, became softer, more insistent. I closed my eyes and let it happen.
(How complicated women are,) I thought, as the world blurred around me.
__________________
And speaking of fanservice, this time It´s the turn of the beautiful Queen Rosemary.
See you in the next chapter.
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